GB02 Zafron Foods Limited

GB02 Zafron Foods Limited in Mitcham is seeking a Development Technologist to support the development and delivery of new products across the Foodservice & QSR portfolio. You will collaborate with teams, suppliers, and customers to turn concepts into reality while maintaining a well-organized development environment. The ideal candidate should have experience in FMCG, a passion for food innovation, and strong communication skills. This role provides opportunities for technical development and career advancement within the organization.

Primary Location: Mitcham, United Kingdom. Development Technologist The Role As a Development Technologist, you will support the successful development and delivery of new and existing products across our Foodservice & QSR portfolio. You will work closely with internal teams, suppliers and customers to bring concepts to life from kitchen development through to production, and maintain a professional, organised, and customer ready development environment at the Zafron Foods site. Key Responsibilities Support New Product Development (NPD) projects from customer brief through to launch. Assist with Existing Product Development (EPD) and product optimisation activities. Prepare and deliver high quality development samples for customers and internal stakeholders. Support recipe scale up and factory trial processes. Assist with raw material testing, ingredient evaluations, and value engineering initiatives. Maintain accurate recipe, specification, and development data. Support customer visits, presentations and first production runs. Attend customer meetings alongside NPD Lead Managers where required. Participate in daily tasting panels and ingredient reviews. Build strong working relationships across departments and functions. Keep up to date with market trends, new ingredients, packaging developments, and innovation opportunities through supplier engagement and industry workshops. What we're looking for Curious, creative, and solutions focused. Comfortable working independently in a fast paced environment. Customer oriented with a commercial mindset. A strong team player who builds positive relationships. Passionate about quality and continuous improvement. Skills & Experience Essential: Experience within FMCG, food manufacturing, or food development, ideally within sauce manufacturing or related categories. Essentials: Passion for food innovation and product development; strong organisational skills and attention to detail; excellent communication and interpersonal skills; ability to manage multiple tasks and priorities effectively; proactive and self motivated; good computer literacy and data management skills. Desirable: Experience working with sauces, dressings, marinades or similar liquid food products; commercial kitchen or culinary experience; advanced Food Hygiene certification. Full UK driving licence. Training & Development Structured onboarding and hands on training across key systems, food safety standards, customer requirements and technical processes, with ongoing opportunities to develop technical expertise, broaden industry knowledge and advance your career within Solina. EEO Statement We are open to talents of all backgrounds. Our recruitment process is based on competencies, and we openly welcome all candidates of all types according to our DEI Commitment.

Overview Senior Development Technologist in Foodservice & QSR - join Solina's UK R&D team, based primarily at the Zafron sauce manufacturing site in Mitcham, Surrey, with regular visits to Elland (Yorkshire). Hybrid role with on-site collaboration and the option to work from home. Solina designs customised savoury solutions for clients in the food industry, with sustainability at the heart of the business. The role involves leading development projects from concept to launch, mentoring a Development Technologist, and helping integrate the Zafron portfolio into the wider Solina UK business. Key Responsibilities Lead the development and delivery of innovative food solutions aligned with customer and business needs. Manage New Product Development and Existing Product Development projects from brief through launch. Act as the key R&D contact on site. Manage project timelines to ensure delivery to agreed deadlines. Support the integration of recipes, systems, and product portfolios into the wider UK business. Line management and development support for a Development Technologist. Work closely with commercial, process, technical, and operational teams. Support customer meetings, factory trials, and first productions. Participate in taste panels and ingredient evaluations. Identify opportunities for continuous improvement and innovation. Stay informed on emerging food trends, ingredients, and packaging developments. Support product development and innovation within a fast-paced sauce manufacturing environment. What We're Looking For / Requirements Essential: Previous food-related FMCG R&D experience within a manufacturing environment; strong project management and organisational skills; excellent communication and stakeholder management; computer literacy. Desirable: Experience within Foodservice or QSR; experience in sauce manufacturing or businesses producing sauces, dressings, marinades, or similar liquid products; commercial kitchen experience; previous people management or mentoring experience; full UK driving licence. Ability to thrive in a customer-focused, commercially driven environment; passion for food trends, innovation, and product development; ability to manage multiple projects and priorities; strong relationship-building across teams. Benefits & Why Join Solina Collaborative, people-focused culture within an international, growing business. Hybrid working flexibility with opportunities for development and career progression. Opportunity to work with passionate food professionals across the UK and Europe. Application Notes Introductory message: If you're looking for a role that combines creativity, technical expertise, leadership, and customer collaboration, Solina invites you to apply. We are open to talents of all backgrounds; our recruitment process is based on competences and our DEI commitment. We welcome all candidates of all types.

GB02 Zafron Foods Limited is seeking a Senior Development Technologist to join Solina's UK R&D team at their Mitcham site. In this hybrid role, you will lead the development of food solutions and manage projects from concept to launch while mentoring a Development Technologist. This position offers flexibility and collaboration with passionate food professionals, focusing on innovative product development in a thriving manufacturing environment.